Star Amerasu, known on the scene by her DJ name (and now former moniker) Ah-Mer-Ah-Su, announces today her sophomore album, titled never, really alone, out everywhere this summer. Following her 2018 debut album Star, this next effort promises a shift in direction, with more tech and house influences mixed among her indie sensibilities.
The album’s lead single is called “way of the dolls,” which Amerasu premiered live at a recent HEAV3N party in Los Angeles. “This place is not for me,” she sings over an optimistic dance beat. “There’s not much for me.” According to the artist, the track “delves into the experience of feeling out of place in society, particularly as a transgender woman, and navigating a world that often feels unwelcoming.”
Dionne Warwick’s “(Theme From) Valley of the Dolls” is cited as one of Amerasu’s favorite songs, serving as inspiration for her first single “but from the perspective of being in the club.” She tells PAPER: “It’s one of the first places I’ve found my footing as a performer and as a trans woman, but also a space where I had to learn to navigate boundaries with myself and with others.”
For Amerasu’s single and album art, photographed by Kyle Thompson, she’s presented as a classic princess, looking down upon a kneeling man painted entirely in silver; another image shows Amerasu alone on the ground, eyes peacefully closed, with religious stained glass lit up behind her.
Much of never, really alone arrived from a series of “exercises and meditations” Amerasu began doing in fall 2023. Dubbed “Chromatica Hikes,” after Lady Gaga’s sixth album, she would listen to Chromatica while walking and “imagine the world as if through fresh eyes.” For Amerasu, 2020 “was one of the hardest years” of her life, so having an escape like Chromatica helped her cope. “[Gaga] created a world for us to reflect, but also to make sure we knew that we weren’t alone.”
During similar feelings of stress last year, Amerasu revisited Chromatica as well as all her demos from the past four years while on these Chromatica Hikes. “I focused on my emotions and where I was now versus each moment when I wrote them,” she says. “I spoke about wanting to be free, about wanting to be loved. My dreams, my hopes and my affirmations of the fact that I may not be okay, but knowing that eventually I will be okay.”
Although she has never shied away from spilling out her feelings in song, this time Amerasu wanted to bring those stories to the dance floor — much like artists Romy or Fred Again.., whom she also cites as inspiration for never, really alone. “Because like Gaga said, this is my dance floor that I did in fact fight for. Trans women have laid our lives on the line at these clubs for years," she says.
Star Amerasu’s “way of the dolls” is scheduled for release on May 17, off her new album, never, really alone, out July 19.
Photos courtesy of Star Amerasu
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